Could you love me like a soulmate?
by loveontop87
Summary: Takes place after season 5. Dan has come back to New York from Rome trying to get his life back on track. Can he convince Blair that he is her soulmate or is Serena the woman he's destined to be with? One shot.


He knocked on the door hesitantly and waited but no one opened the door. He tried again, still no answer.

'Hello?' he shouted. Still no answer.

'Blair? Are you there?' he asked. She walked to the door and felt her chest tighten. She recognised the voice instantly, her heart was beating heavily. Her eyes darted around her apartment, she had no idea what he was doing here.

'It's me…Dan' he said softly. Blair reached for the door preparing herself to open it but she froze. She stepped away from the door and ran into her bedroom. Dan stepped away from the front door and sighed, he figured he would just have to keep trying.

It was not until the fourth time that she finally allowed him in. Dan took a deep breath as he entered her apartment, it was as if he had walked back in time. The apartment had not changed, everything was the same, the same furniture, same TV, same scented candles, same cushions. He looked at the pictures displayed on the wall, Blair as a little girl, as a senior, at her college graduation. Dan felt his heart ache, he had missed a year of Blair's life and he regretted it.

He saw her bedroom door open and headed for it when she came out herself. As soon as their eyes met, Dan knew he did the right thing coming to see her. All the memories that they shared covered them both like a warm blanket. However all of their unspoken truths surrounded them and filled the air creating this unbearable tension.

She looked the same; beautiful. That shiny chocolate colored hair Dan use to imagine grabbing, the same crimson lips he dreamt about kissing but her eyes, her big brown eyes had lost their shine. All he saw was sadness and pain in them and it broke his heart.

Dan looked different, he had lost a little bit of weight, his hair was longer and curlier, his eyes were brighter.

'You finally let me in' he said sarcastically. She nodded slightly as she looked at the floor nervously.

'How have you been?' he asked but instantly regretted asking.

'What should I say?' she asked challengingly.

'What do you mean?' he asked confused.

'Well what I should say is that I haven't been okay for a very long time but come on…you know with us, we never spoke the truth' she said folding her arms as if to form some kind of armour.

'We can change that…with us' he said as he took two steps towards her, Blair could feel his eyes on her and it made her body shiver.

'There is no us' she said sternly. At that moment the brightness in Dan's eyes flooded out. Blair saw his eyes change and she didn't feel bad about it at all because Dan was now feeling the exact same way she was.

'Did that hurt?' she asked coldly. Dan looked down at the floor nodding his head.

'Well good…because what you're feeling right now doesn't even compare to how I feel every minute of every day' she said as she took two steps closer to him.

'Blair I want to make you feel better' he said desperately as he looked back up at her.

'You can't, no one can' she said truthfully looking straight in his eyes.

'I can try…look I came here to see you, to apologize, I know I wasn't there for you when you needed me the most. I'm sorry but my book tour, living in Italy, my mom getting remarried and Jenny graduating from college…my life got in the way' he confessed.

'Yeah well mine ended' she said shrugging her shoulders; it was as if she had lost her spirit, her spirit for life, for love, for happiness. Dan just wanted to hug her tightly and try and squeeze all of her pain out of her body.

'I don't blame you for hating me' he said sighing.

'I don't hate you' she said. Dan was relieved for a second but then he saw that glint in her eye that he knew all too well.

'I don't feel anything for you…in fact, you're nothing to me' she said looking him dead in the eye. Dan stepped away from her because he couldn't take anymore. She was not the Blair he left a year ago, she was damaged and there was nothing he could do about it.

'I understand' he said holding out his hands as if to surrender. Blair then walked into her bedroom slamming the door shut behind her. She waited to hear the front door close before she crouched to the floor crying uncontrollably.

Serena didn't know why she agreed to meet Dan, she was Blair's best friend after all but she couldn't miss this opportunity to meet Dan alone. She walked into the small café and saw him sitting playing with his IPhone nervously, he looked just as adorable as ever and she felt butterflies in her stomach. She took a deep breath and then approached him. His eyes lit up when he saw her.

'Serena!' he said standing up. Serena smiled then hugged him, Dan was a little taken back at first but then he remembered that Serena was always so warm and welcoming. Serena noticed he still used the same aftershave and smiled to herself. After they parted they smiled at each other awkwardly then sat down at the table.

'Thank you for meeting me' he said softly.

'Yeah of course' she said casually.

'I really appreciate it' he said understandingly.

'It's fine. So, Mr big shot author How was the book tour?' she asked changing the subject.

'It was…amazing…everything I hoped it would be and more…Italy was incredible, I have so many crazy stories that I'm thinking I might pull a Love Eat Pray but from a man's perspective, what do you think?' he asked jokingly.

'I think that's so 2 years ago' she said sarcastically. Dan laughed, he didn't realize how much he missed Serena and his life in New York.

'Are you back at the loft?' she asked. He nodded while staring into his coffee.

'For good?' she asked.

'I think so' he said. Serena beamed and Dan couldn't help but smile back.

'Well I can't wait for us to spend more time together ', she said cheerfully.

'Me too' he said smiling. Serena noticed that his eyes were not matching his smile and that's when she realised that Dan really wished he was having this conversation with Blair.

Serena knocked on the door and called out Blair's name. Blair immediately opened it.

'What took you so long?' she asked as she snatched the bagel bag and coffee out of Serena' s hands.

'Sorry there was a long queue ' said Serena . Blair began eating while Serena watched her nervously.

'Ok what is it?' asked Blair.

'You won't even go out for bagels and coffee? This is crazy, you have to get out of this apartment' said Serena.

'I do…when I go visit my mother' said Blair.

'You leave this apartment to enter another…I'm talking about going to cafes, restaurants, museums' said Serena.

'I still shop' said Blair grumpily.

'Yeah but not like you use to…you're always in a hurry to get back to your apartment' said Serena.

'I like what I like and I don't see the point in spending all day deliberating over Balmain versus Dior when I can buy both' said Blair. Serena rolled her eyes in annoyance, she was still that spoilt upper eastside princess.

'Blair I know you've been through hell but you're not helping yourself by shutting everyone out' said Serena.

'Who am I shutting out?! You are the only one who comes to see me!' said Blair.

'Chuck will be out of rehab soon' said Serena optimistically. Blair laughed.

'I'm the last person he wants to see…It's my fault he's in there' said Blair holding back tears.

'What? Blair you can't be serious?' said Serena as she put her arm around Blair.

'The whole thing with Louis and the baby…I'm responsible for him trying to drink himself to death' said Blair sadly.

'Blair no…that is not true' said Serena. Blair then stood up.

'Please don't go into your bedroom' begged Serena but Blair did just that, slamming the door behind her.

The next few weeks Serena spent less time with Blair and more time with Dan. They went to the movies, ate at restaurants, Serena even went to an art exhibit pretending to be interested and secretly wishing she was having a cocktail. She was so relieved when he suggested they go for a drink as they walked out of the exhibit.

Whilst they sat at the bar Serena couldn't help but notice Dan looking deep in thought, a little sad and confused. She had a feeling it had something to do with Blair.

'Dan are you okay?' she asked concerned.

'Yeah totally, why why wouldn't I be?' he asked trying to sound relaxed but he was more tense than ever. Serena titled her head to the side slightly.

'You're stuttering' Serena pointed out trying not to laugh. Dan covered his eyes with his hands.

'Yeah I know…I'm 25 years old and I still stutter, what is wrong with me?' he said throwing his hands in the air.

'Nothing's wrong with you, its…Blair…she still has that affect on you' said Serena softly. Dan looked at Serena, pretending to look confused. He then gave up and covered his face with his hands and groaned.

'Dan…Dan, have you talked to her at all since you've been back?' she asked as pulled his hands from his face. He nodded.

'She said I meant nothing to her' said Dan as he took a big gulp of his beer.

'Well what kind of reaction were you hoping for? Dan you left for a year to go and celebrate your success while Blair's life was falling apart, I was the only person here' said Serena sadly.

'Serena, I stood by her throughout the whole Louis baby drama but…when she chose Chuck…my world fell apart' he said truthfully.

'She didn't choose him Dan, you made the decision for her by not telling her the truth' said Serena shrugging her shoulders.

'What truth?' he asked confused. Serena rolled her eyes in annoyance.

'You know exactly what I'm talking about' said Serena. That's when Dan knew, Serena knew he still loved Blair and there was no point trying to deny it.

'Listen…I'm not here to judge or criticize you, I just want you to be happy, that's all' said Serena sweetly.

'I am happy…here with you' he said as he reached for Serena's hand. Serena smiled warmly then hugged him tightly. Serena hated the fact that she felt butterflies in her stomach again but she couldn't help it because Dan was the love of her life.

Dan walked up the steps to his loft when he saw Blair standing with her back resting against the double doors. His heart stopped for second and he blinked to make sure he was not imagining her there.

'Blair…Hi' he said nervously as he approached her.

'Hi' she said smiling slightly which calmed Dan's nerves to say the least.

'How long have you been standing here?' he asked concerned.

'Not that long' she said avoiding his piercing brown eyes.

'Come in' he said encouragingly. Blair reluctantly followed Dan into the loft, the loft she'd secretly missed. Her eyes darted around the familiar surroundings; she immediately felt warmth and safety. Dan gazed at her longingly; she looked stunning as always. When Blair turned around to face him, he quickly looked away and headed for the coffee machine.

'Would you like some coffee?' he asked knowing full well that caffeine was Blair's weakness

'Yes, thank you' she said predictably as she sat down on the kitchen stool. She watched him silently while Dan pretended not to notice her eyes on him. Once Dan handed her the coffee, they both sat on the couch.

'Thanks for letting me in' she said finally. Dan smiled.

'Honestly, I never thought I'd see you here again' admitted Dan.

'Me too' she said as she took a sip of coffee.

'What made you change your mind?' he asked.

'The last time we spoke, I said you were nothing…you're not nothing' she said as she looked into his eyes.

'Blair you have every reason to be angry with me' he said sadly.

'You're right I do…but you remember last year, the way I acted about your book…I wasn't there for you… I'm sorry' she said sincerely. They both gazed at each other looking deep into each other's eyes as if trying to guess what the other was thinking.

'So all's forgiven?' he asked sounding hopeful.

'Not all, let's not get carried away' she said sarcastically. Dan laughed; he had missed her bluntness and wit.

'I missed you' he said tenderly.

'Me too' she replied. They both held each other's longing looks until Blair forced herself to look down. Dan cleared his throat trying to fill the awkward silence.

'So…uh Serena filled me in on the Chuck situation' he said. Blair tensed up a little at the mention of Chuck. She would always feel something whenever someone said his name.

'Yeah, he's getting himself better…I'm proud of him' she said sincerely. Dan nodded in agreement.

'Seems like Chucks finally grown up, while the rest of us…' he pondered.

'I don't know what happened' she said sighing heavily.

'We're not perfect, we make mistakes and we're going to keep making them..all we can do is just be there for each other' he said encouragingly.

'Like how we were for each other?' she asked referring to them ignoring each other when they so desperately needed one another.

'No, not exactly… but we were stupid, we cared too much about what other people thought, forgot about our own lives and the important people in it' he said honestly.

'What are you saying? Chuck and Serena aren't important?' she asked.

'No, they are but…it's always been about them. Don't you think we forgot about ourselves?' he asked. Blair nodded in agreement.

'Let's start doing what makes us happy' Dan said as he held Blair's hand tightly. Blair put her hand over his and closed her eyes taking his touch in.

'Stay with me tonight' he asked tenderly. Blair looked into his sparkling eyes, she so desperately wanted to stay with him but knew that she couldn't. It was too complicated, she knew Serena still loved Dan and a part of her still loved Chuck, she had to get back to Manhattan.

'Dan I…I should go home' she said as she let go of his hands.

'Blair you are home' he said reaching for her but she quickly stood up.

'No, no this is where Serena belongs, not me…I'm Blair Waldorf! I hate Brooklyn, the noise, the smell. I'm too uptight, bossy, I get angry over the stupidest things' she said sadly.

'Blair you're a passionate person who knows what she likes but there's so much more to you-' he said.

'I know I know, I read your book!' she said as she covered her face with her hands.

'Why can't you see that you're a good person?' he said as he walked closed to her.

'A good person does not cheat on the Prince of Monaco or be the reason why her ex boyfriend is in rehab or come between her best friend and the love of her life!' said Blair holding back tears.

'You tried with Louis and it didn't work out, that's not your fault and Chuck, he should have been in rehab years ago and….what, what if I want you to come between me and Serena?' he yelled.

'Dan I can't! You and her…you're soul mates' she said resentfully.

'How do you know that?' he said frustrated.

'Because she has always loved you, with her whole heart' said Blair as she stepped closer to Dan. Dan felt his eyes begin to water and his heart ache. She held onto his hands tightly.

'What about you? Have you always loved Chuck?' he asked boldly. Blair nodded. She wasn't in love with Chuck, she was in love with Dan but she couldn't tell him because of Serena. Blair's heart broke when she saw the pain on Dan's face as he let go of her hands. He turned away from her holding back tears.

'Dan I'm sorry' she said as she touched his shoulder. Dan flinched at her touch and stepped further away from her.

'I'm such an idiot' he said laughing to himself.

'You're not an idiot, you're a good man who deserves to be happy' she said but at that moment she really just wanted to scream that she loved him and hold him in her arms and never let go. He turned to face her, Blair saw his face had softened.

'Could you ever love me like that?' he asked.

'Like what?' she asked nervously.

'Like a soul mate' said Dan looking more vulnerable than ever.

'I…I can't answer that' she said even though she knew the answer. Dan sighed heavily feeling deflated.

'Goodbye Dan' she said, Dan nodded and then watched the woman he loved walk out his door.

Serena was having lunch round Blair's apartment; she decided that this was the moment she was going to tell Blair that she had been spending a lot of time with Dan since he had come back.

'So B you know I've been pretty busy these past few months?' said Serena nervously.

'Yeah, aren't you always?' said Blair sarcastically.

'Yeah but this is different' said Serena.

'S you have that look…have you met someone?' asked Blair excitedly.

'Well sort of…I, I don't know' said Serena stuttering.

'Who is it?' asked Blair chuckling to herself at how nervous Serena was.

'Dan' said Serena. Blair's smile quickly disappeared.

'Oh…well…I kind of figured…you two are magnetic' said Blair smiling falsely. Inside she felt her heart break, Dan listened to Blair and pursued Serena like Blair asked him to. She should have been happy but she wasn't, she felt resentment because a part of her wanted Dan to ignore all her advice but she knew Dan too well. He always followed her lead.

'Are you okay?' asked Serena worried.

'What? Of course, why wouldn't I be?' asked Blair.

'Well, last year you guys sort of… had a thing and-' said Serena.

'We did not have a thing! We did not have a thing' protested Blair.

'OK I'm sorry, my mistake' said Serena sighing. Blair knew she had to hide her feelings better than this.

'S nothing happened between us, I left Louis to be with Chuck, Its always been him for me, you know that' said Blair convincingly.

'Really?' asked Serena. Blair nodded.

'Chuck and Blair, Blair and Chuck, we're the same soul' said Blair truthfully. They were the same soul but Blair's heart belonged to another man, to a man that belonged to Serena. Suddenly Serena's phone went off, it was Dan calling to see if she wanted to meet.

'Go, go meet your boyfriend!' said Blair over enthusiastically.

'Remember, I love you' said Serena as she kissed Blair's forehead. As Blair watched Serena walk out happy and excited for her date with Dan she felt herself sinking deeper and deeper into a black hole full of emptiness.

Blair was getting ready to go out to visit her mother when she heard a knock on her door. Her heart literally stopped when she saw who it was standing in a suit looking more handsome than ever..

'Chuck' said Blair in disbelief.

'Waldorf' said Chuck smiling. Blair immediately hugged him tightly.

'When did you get out?' she asked.

'A few weeks' he said.

'A few weeks? And you've only come to see me now?'' she said playfully punching him on his chest.

'I know…but my doctors said I needed time alone…to adjust to my normal life again' he said.

'Oh I know…I understand…after everything that happened, I don't blame you for not wanting to talk to me' she said.

'Blair how could I not talk to you?' he said softly.

'Chuck…I'm sorry about everything…the lying, the baby-' she said.

'I understand why you lied, you were trying to save your fairytale which is what I asked you to do. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you after your miscarriage' he said sadly.

'You have nothing to be sorry for, what you did was incredibly brave' said Blair. Chuck smiled.

'You look really well' said Blair as she brushed his hair softly from his forehead.

'That's what months of yoga and therapy sessions will do to you' said Chuck smirking.

'We have a lot to catch up on' said Blair smiling.

'Yes we do' said Chuck reaching for Blair's hand. They both held each other's gaze and to Blair's surprise she felt those butterflies in her stomach again.

Dan had no idea why he was at Chuck's welcome home party, he had to give credit to Serena's power of persuasion.

'My mom's throwing it for him, I have to go…and I was hoping that maybe if you came with me then we would could tell everyone about us' said Serena over breakfast at Dan's loft a week before the party.

'I thought people already knew…I mean it's not that big of deal that we have to announce it, like it's some royal engagement' he said insensitively.

'Our relationship is important to me, I thought it was to you too' said Serena sadly.

'It is…I'm sorry, I'm being a douche' he said honestly.

'Yes you are' said Serena raising her eyebrows. Dan smirked.

'Serena Van der Woodson I would be more than happy to accompany you to Chuck's party, if you'll still have me?' he asked charmingly.

'I will, to this Dan, not douche Dan' she said jokingly.

Dan watched Serena as she glided effortlessly around the room greeting all the guests. The light that shone out of Serena was magnetic whilst Dan stood alone in the corner feeling the darkness hover above him. It wasn't until he saw Blair walk into the party that he felt a little bit of that darkness begin to vanish until he saw Chuck follow behind her. He watched them enviously, they both looked so happy and content and it broke his heart. He gulped down some champagne then walked over to Serena and stood beside her whilst she conversed with a group of people he had no idea who they were.

As Chuck said hello to Lilly and Rufus, Blair searched for Dan and her eyes landed on him with his arm around Serena. Blair sighed then headed for the buffet table when she heard Serena yell her name. Blair turned around and put on her fake smile.

'S!' she replied as Serena walked to Blair and gave her a tight hug. Dan kept back and avoided Blair's eyes.

'B I'm so glad you're here…I feel like I haven't seen you in so long' said Serena sweetly.

'I know I'm sorry, I've been spending time with Chuck since he-' said Blair.

'B its fine, come on I haven't exactly been a saint either, me and Dan…well…we're officially back together' said Serena happily.

'Oh wow…well that's fantastic news, I'm really happy for you S' said Blair smiling when inside she felt like screaming.

'Now that Chuck's back, who knows? Maybe we can double date' said Serena excitedly.

Blair laughed nervously, even the thought of that happening made her feel sick.

'Uh I don't know about that…me and Chuck, we haven't really discussed the future, I don't think a relationship is what he needs right now, especially one with me' said Blair honestly.

'Blair you two belong together, don't you think it's time you both accepted that instead of fighting it?' said Serena encouragingly. Part of Blair wanted to believe that this was true but then she saw Dan from over Serena's shoulder and their eyes locked for a moment until Blair quickly focused back on to Serena.

'Maybe you're right…but right now, all I care about is getting a slice or 2 of Chuck's welcome home cake' said Blair jokingly.

'Go, help yourself!' said Serena laughing. Blair then turned around and walked away with a unsettling feeling in her stomach.

Dan was getting another drink from the bar when Chuck approached him.

'Humphrey, never took you for a scotch kind of guy' said Chuck. Dan took a sip.

'Chuck, good to see you man' said Dan as he shook Chuck's hand. Chuck smirked.

'Come on Dan, we both know that's a lie' said Chuck as he ordered a bottle of water.

'I thought we're friends now?' asked Dan confused.

'We are but it still doesn't change the fact that Blair chose me over you' said Chuck.

'I'm over that…whole Blair…thing, I've moved on' said Dan as he took another sip of scotch.

'Yes evidently to Serena, how is that going by the way?' asked Chuck slyly.

'Great…we couldn't be happier, I'm dating Serena Van der Woodsen' said Dan proudly.

'Yes that would actually mean something if we were still in High school but we're in the real world now' said Chuck looking Dan dead in the eye. Dan rolled his eyes in annoyance.

'Why pretend, don't you think you've hurt Serena enough?' asked Chuck. Dan was angry now.

'Look, Blair told me to be with Serena, that I am her soul mate, how can I argue with that?' said Dan sarcastically.

'She's right, you are' asked Chuck.

'Congratulations to me' said Dan raising his glass before downing the rest of his scotch.

'Humphrey, I suggest you get your act together before you end up alone…trust me on this one' said Chuck as he handed Dan the bottled water. Dan watched him walk away feeling like his head was about to burst.

After the party Blair and Chuck hung out at Chuck's penthouse back at the Empire. They were sitting on Chuck's couch.

'A lot of memories up here' said Chuck.

'Yes, some good, mostly bad' said Blair jokingly.

'Well I think it's time we made some more good memories, a fresh start' said Chuck.

'I agree' said Blair smiling.

'Hopefully we can do it better than Dan and Serena' said Chuck.

'Of course we can' said Blair smugly.

'Do you think they're happy together?' he asked suddenly.

'As happy as can be, I mean she is dating Dan Humphrey' said Blair saying his name with such disgust. Chuck looked at her confused.

'Tell me something, if you think so low of Dan then why did you tell him to be with Serena?' asked chuck.

'What? I never told him to do anything! He can do whatever he wants, I don't care' said Blair unconvincingly. Chuck was far from convinced.

'And why are we talking about Dan Humphrey when we're all alone , we have champagne and strawberries, I'm in a cocktail dress and you're in a suit…there should be no talking right now' said Blair softly as she sat closer to Chuck and put her arm around his shoulder.

'I've missed you so much' she whispered, Chuck could feel her hot breath on his neck, however, he could also smell the alcohol. Chuck stood up.

'Blair you've had a lot to drink, I think you should go home' he said.

'Only a few glasses, I'm not drunk' said Blair confidently.

'I still think you should go' he said. Blair stood up angrily.

'Why? What's wrong?' she asked confused.

'I can't believe I'm going to say this but…Blair you're in love with Dan' he said matter of factly.

'Chuck…me in love with Dan? Are you kidding?!' said Blair acting as if it was the most ridiculous thing she had ever heard.

'It's absurd, he means nothing to me! He's with Serena and that's the way it should be' she said.

'Blair, what happened to you? You use to be fearless when it came to love, why have you stopped following your heart?' he asked.

'I'm terrified okay! look what I did to Louis! I turned him into a monster, you ended up in rehab…I'm scared I'm going to screw him up' said Blair sadly.

'Well you're half way there' said Chuck.

'Excuse me?' asked Blair.

'You may think that Dan being with Serena is the best thing for him but he's self destructing' said Chuck.

'Why are you telling me this?' asked Blair.

'Make a decision Blair. This time for yourself' he said as he watched Blair realize what she needed to do.

'I'll call Arthur and tell him to take you home' said Chuck.

'No, I'll take a cab' said Blair. Chuck knew where she was heading.

Blair stool outside of Dan's loft nervous because she had no idea what she was going to say to him. After a few minutes she finally plucked up the courage to knock on the door. After a few seconds Dan opened the door and could not believe what he was seeing.

'Blair' he said confused to see her.

'Is Serena here?' Blair asked.

'No, what, what are you doing here?' he asked.

'I don't know' she said suddenly panicking.

'You don't know' repeated Dan looking at Blair like she had lost it.

'No I…I do know, I just…can I come in?' she asked desperately.

'Why? I thought we said all we had to say last time you were here' he said bluntly.

Blair was a little taken back by Dan's attitude; he was always sarcastic but never cold towards her.

'Well a lot of things have changed since we last spoke' she argued.

'Yeah like you and Chuck?' he said lifting his eyebrows.

'Wouldn't you like to know' she said slyly. Dan felt a shiver go down his spine.

'I'm with Serena now, you and Chuck can do what the hell you want, sex games, and hotel trading, whatever floats your boat' he said coldly.

'You're only with Serena because I asked you to!' she shouted.

'Yeah and it's the best thing I ever did! Can't spend the rest of my life waiting for you to realise that I'm your best friend who would have done anything for you, take care of you, love you!' he shouted back. Blair didn't know what to say.

'Serena loves me' he said proudly.

'Why wouldn't she? You've been the only man in her life who's constantly been there for her. I remember back at Constance, looking at you two, I was jealous. I mean you said I love you first and she didn't have to beat it out of you. Why do you think I gave you such a hard time? I was frustrated and angry because I wanted Chuck to be like you, love me like you loved Serena…that pure and simple love' confessed Blair sadly.

'Why are you telling me this? I mean you went running back to Chuck like you always do and now you're saying-' he said angrily.

'You don't know anything about me and Chuck!' she retorted.

'I know too much for my own good! Seriously, do you think you could make up your mind!' he said sarcastically.

'You're the one to talk, what about you and Serena! Your relationship isn't exactly perfect and at least Chuck and I don't share a half sibling!' she said with her hands on her hips.

'Serena's never slept with my Uncle!' Dan said.

'Chuck's never slept with Georgina unlike someone I know!' she answered back.

'Yeah well I would never trade someone I love for a hotel!' he said. Blair felt her chest tighten.

'Oh because you're so perfect! You've never hurt Serena! Open your eyes Dan, you're hurting her right now!' she said. For the first time Dan didn't know what to say.

'I shouldn't have come here' she said shaking her head sadly.

'Why did you?' he asked again.

Her intention was to say sorry for lying to him and confess that she loved him but her anger took over.

'A moment of weakness…which will never happen again' she said stubbornly

'Great because I can't keep having the same conversation with you over and over, it's getting boring, save your dramatic flair for Chuck' he said harshly.

'Wow, still the same judgemental ass you always were' she said smirking.

'Goodnight Blair' he said moodily. She then slammed the loft door shut behind her.

Blair was reading in Central Park sitting on a blanket and enjoying the sunshine and didn't even notice Serena approach her.

'There you are!' said Serena with her hands on her hips. Blair looked up and saw a very angry Serena.

'Serena…Hi' said Blair nervously.

'Hi? That's all you have to say?' asked Serena frustrated.

'I'm sorry I haven't returned your calls' she said guiltily.

'What's going on Blair? Why have you been avoiding me?' asked Serena as she sat down next to Blair. Blair shut her book.

'I haven't…well not intentionally' said Blair. Serena rolled her eyes.

'Look I just wanted to give you your space so you could spend quality time with Dan' said Blair.

'What about our quality time? Blair I need my best friend…me and Dan spend plenty of time together…too much! I need my girl back' said Serena softly. Blair smiled.

'I know me too…but I just needed some time on my own to think about some things' said Blair.

'Chuck?' asked Serena. Blair nodded.

'So what is going on with you two?' asked Serena.

'Nothing…we're just friends' said Blair seriously. Serena looked at her confused.

'Seriously?' asked Serena. Blair nodded. Serena was speechless.

'S…say something' said Blair.

'I'm sorry I guess I just thought I'd never see the day when you two would not be together' said Serena.

'I did…after everything we've been through, how could we stay together' said Blair matter of factually.

'Yeah but…come on…It's Chuck, he's the love of your life' said Serena. Blair sighed.

'I thought he was…but…now things are different' said Blair avoiding eye contact with Serena.

'What do you mean…is there someone else?' asked Serena nervously.

'What? No…no…I think I need a break from men' said Blair jokingly. Serena chuckled.

'I think you may be on to something there' said Serena as she sighed heavily.

'Oh no…what is it? Is there trouble in paradise?' asked Blair referring to Dan and Serena.

'Yes especially when paradise is a loft in Brooklyn' said Serena sarcastically.

'I thought you liked the loft?' asked Blair.

'I still do! It's just I miss Manhattan, Dan only wants to do things in Brooklyn' complained Serena. Blair smiled sadly, turns out Dan was avoiding Blair too.

'Why don't you suggest visiting the The Oracle Club, he'd love it there' said Blair.

'I don't think Dan would be up for a night of dirty dancing or-'said Serena.

'It's not that type of club S' said Blair pretentiously. Blair handed her the New York Times article about The Oracle Club.

'Here…show him this and you'll be back in Manhattan in no time' said Blair. Serena smiled.

Dan and Serena came out of The Oracle Club holding hands, Dan looked happy and content.

'Did you like it?' asked Serena.

'Are you kidding me? I loved it! Thank you for taking me' he said as he kissed the top of her hand sweetly.

'I'm glad you had a good time' she said relieved.

'How did you find this club?' he asked curiously.

'Oh I'd read about it a few days ago in New York Magazine' she lied.

'Really? Oh' said Dan pleasantly surprised that she read the magazine in the first place.

'So what do you want to do now?' asked Serena.

'Uh…I don't know…coffee maybe?' suggested Dan.

'Maybe…or we could go get a drink downtown' said Serena hopeful.

'Don't you mean uptown' he said sceptically. Serena pouted pleading with him to say yes.

'Alright alright, we'll go' he said. Serena kissed him on the cheek.

They were sitting together at the bar with Serena's hand on his knee. She rested her head on his shoulder whilst he went on and on about The Oracle Club boring Serena to death.

'Let's get another round' she said interrupting Dan's speech. As Serena began flirting with the bartender, Dan looked around the bar when his eyes landed on Blair and Chuck sitting at a table deep in conversation.

'What is it?' asked Serena noticing Dan acting weird.

'Uh…nothing…it's just Blair and Chuck are sitting over there in the corner' said Dan casually.

'Oh really, let's go over and say hi' she said as she got up off her seat.

'What? No, we don't want to interrupt their date' he said nervously.

'Dan I can't just ignore her, it's Blair, she'll kill me…come on, move it' she ordered then dragged him along with her.

'Hey guys!' said Serena over excitedly. Blair smiled at Serena and completely ignored Dan. Dan shook Chuck's hand.

'Serena, Dan, won't you join us' said Chuck gesturing for them to sit down. Blair glared at Chuck. The last thing she wanted was for the four of them to be stuck together in a bar.

'Of course' said Serena smiling and pulling Dan down to sit beside her.

'I'll order some champagne' said Chuck as he raised his hand for the waiter.

'Oh you don't have-' said Dan.

'I insist' said Chuck smirking. Dan nodded. They all sat awkwardly for a few minutes, Dan and Blair continued to avoid eye contact with each other. Suddenly the waiter arrived with champagne. They all sighed in relief. Blair downed her glass.

'Thirsty Blair?' asked Serena jokingly.

'It just tastes so good…another' said Blair to the waiter who filled her glass up again. Chuck looked at her as if she had gone crazy.

'You might want to pace yourself Blair' suggested Chuck.

'Wow coming from an ex alcoholic…that must mean something!' said Blair bitchily. Chuck smirked and shook his head at her insensitivity whilst Serena looked on horrified.

'What? It was a joke' said Blair as she downed the second glass.

''B that wasn't funny' said Serena rolling her eyes. Blair glared at her, Dan coughed to break the tension.

'Oh ok, well do you know what's really funny? You two sitting here with us!' said Blair. Serena gasped at her bluntness.

'Yeah Serena, I think that's her polite way of saying we should go' said Dan sarcastically.

'No…Blair, what is your problem?' asked Serena.

'Nothing, I just don't see why you felt the need to come over when you're on a date with Dan' said Blair.

'I saw you, I thought I'd do the decent thing and say hello and Chuck asked us to join you so-' said Serena.

'Please don't drag me into this' said Chuck. Serena and Blair both stared at Chuck angrily.

'Humphrey, join me at the bar?' pleaded Chuck.

'With pleasure' said Dan as they both practically ran away from the girls.

'What is going on? Are you mad at me about something?' asked Serena confused by Blair's behaviour.

'No…you haven't done anything' said Blair looking down at the floor.

'Then what is with this attitude?' said Serena.

'I don't know…I just saw you with Humphrey and all this anger just built up inside of me' confessed Blair.

'Oh my god…I thought you guys were friends, please I can't go back to you two hating each other…it's too hard' said Serena.

'Well I'm sorry S but I can't pretend!' said Blair sighing deeply.

'So I guess this means double dates are out of the question' said Serena as she slumped into her chair. She suddenly felt like she was in high school again.

'What is with Blair?' asked Dan.

'Oh just having one of her moments…she's Queen B remember…she has to yell at someone at least once a day' said Chuck. Dan nodded in agreement.

'Blair deserves someone who appreciates all of her…and so does Serena' said Chuck. Dan turned around and looked at Blair and Serena, he sighed. Being in love with Blair was exhausting.

Blair found herself standing alone at the Palace at Serena's party as she watched everyone talking and laughing and enjoying themselves. She felt like she was in hell, the sight of Dan and Serena acting happy and affectionate with each other pretty much killed her mood. Chuck handed her some champagne begrudgingly.

'Thanks' she said giving him a sweet smile masking her annoyance.

'You really should smile more before people start asking questions' he said.

'No one cares, they're all here for Serena' she said after she gulped down the champagne.

'And you're not' he said. Blair shivered; Chuck knew she was here for Dan. Everything she did was for him, their fake friendship, and her friendship with Serena. Her whole life was him and she hated it.

'I need another drink' she said. Chuck grabbed her arm.

'Blair...' he said.

'Get off of me' she said as she yanked her arm away and stormed off to the bar.

'Hi everyone…um I'm sure you're all wondering why you're here at this lovely party that my Mom organised at the last minute…thank you Mom' announced Serena sweetly to all the guests.

'But I have some exciting news….Dan and I… are… getting married!' she yelled happily. Everyone applauded and cheered. Lilly and Rufus hugged their children. Blair felt like the world had stopped and all she could hear was the sound of her heart beating. She then saw Serena run towards her.

'B can you believe it!' said Serena as she hugged Blair tightly.

'Congratulations S…It's what you always wanted' said Blair holding back tears. Serena smiled. Lilly called after Serena.

'Go…enjoy this time' said Blair. Serena squeezed Blair's hand tightly then ran to her Mom. Blair took a deep breath and was relieved she kept it together in front of Serena but then she saw Dan staring at her with a pained looked on his face so she quickly headed for the lift. She pushed the button and waited impatiently. Chuck approached her.

'Where are you going?' he asked.

'Home' she said.

'What should I tell Serena?' he asked.

'Tell her I wasn't feeling well, too much champagne!' she said sarcastically.

'I thought you knew?' he asked.

'Do you think I'd be here if I did?' she asked angrily. He shrugged his shoulders. Suddenly the lift doors opened.

'Finally!' she complained as she walked in, Chuck followed her.

'Chuck stay here' she ordered.

'I'll take you home' he said.

'No thank you' she said folding her arms.

'Arthur is outside, he'll take you' said Chuck as he stepped out of the lift. Blair rolled her eyes as the lift doors closed and failed to see Dan watching her the entire time

She walked past Chuck's limo and held her hand up trying to hail a cab. Minutes went by and she still hadn't got one when she heard Dan call her name. She turned around and there he was standing there out of breath.

'Dan…' she said confused.

'What are you doing?' he asked. Blair didn't know what to say, she had to get away from him.

'Congratulations Humphrey' she said coldly as she walked past him and quickly got into Chuck's limo.

'Arthur, it's Blair take me home please' she ordered. Arthur rolled up the partition. Suddenly the door opened and Dan got in.

'What? Dan, get out of here!' she ordered.

'No way, we need to talk' he said.

'Forget it, get out!' he yelled.

'Shut up!' he yelled back. Blair was taken aback by his shouting.

'You're engaged…you're engaged?' said Blair laughing at the mess of it all.

'Tragic isn't it' he said coldly. Blair felt her face harden.

'Hey that's my best friend you're marrying, don't forget that' she said.

'Oh I try do, everyday…so I can forget about you…but it's not working' he said sadly.

'I only agreed to this…party…so I could see you!' he said angrily pointing at her. Blair looked at him in shock of his outburst.

'Dan you're marrying Serena' she reminded him.

'I didn't have a choice, Lily practically begged me to do it, even my Dad wanted me to…and you…you're with Chuck' he said. Blair looked down at the floor. She had to tell him the truth, it was now or never.

'We're not together…we never were…I just went along with it so you could be happy with Serena...I-' she confessed.

'What?' he asked, his eyes were closed and his chest was pounding.

'I came here tonight for you…I only feel alive when I'm with you! She said passionately.

'There…it's all out in the open! Happy now! That I'm as miserable as you are!' she said angrily. Dan was speechless.

'Arthur, stop the car' shouted Blair. The limo stopped.

'Please get out…Serena will be wondering where you are' she said quietly.

'You lied to me this whole time' he said coldly. Dan then got out and slammed the door. Blair cried the whole way home.

Serena stormed into the loft the next day and approached Dan at the dining table whilst he was having his breakfast.

'Morning, have a nice night?' she asked bitchily. Dan took a sip of his coffee ignoring her stern glare.

'Where were you Dan? You left me alone at our engagement party!' she yelled.

'I'm sorry, I wasn't feeling well so I came back here' he said.

'Why didn't you tell me?' she asked.

'I didn't want to worry you, I fell asleep, that's why I didn't call you back. Serena you know I would have stayed if I felt up to it' he said softly.

'Really?' she asked not convinced.

'Of course, you're my fiancé' he said as he approached her.

'Chuck said you went after Blair when she left' she said suddenly.

'Yeah, so…she was drunk, I just wanted to make sure she got home ok' he said.

'She seemed fine to me' said Serena. Dan rolled her eyes.

'How would you know…you're so oblivious to anything that doesn't involve you' he said harshly.

'What? Have you forgotten last year? When you disappeared and left me to pick up the pieces! She was a mess and you were nowhere! So who's the selfish one?' she yelled.

'Why are we even talking about her? he said. Serena stared at him, her eyes were reading every expression on his face.

'Look I have a headache, can we talk about this later' he said as he rubbed his face.

'Yeah, sure, sorry for interrupting your day' she then marched out and slammed the door.

Dan felt like he was sinking into a black hole. There was only one person who could help him get out.

'Thank you for meeting me for lunch' he said.

'I'm glad you called' said Vanessa. Dan smiled.

'You don't look good Dan, what's going on?' she asked. Dan laughed.

'Vanessa I'm losing it' he said as he ran his fingers through his hair.

'You're engaged, it should be the happiest time of your life' she pointed out. Dan shook his head.

'It was, until…' he couldn't say her name.

'Until what?' she asked concerned.

'Blair …the night of my engagement party, she said that I make her feel alive' he said choking back tears. Vanessa grabbed his hand.

'She said that?' she asked shocked. He nodded.

'I thought she was with Chuck?' she asked confused by this messed up situation.

'It was all a lie, she was never with him, she manipulated me into choosing Serena…my future wife who I chose under false pre-tense…I feel like I'm in hell' he said as he held Vanessa's hand tightly.

'Dan, you have to stay strong' she said.

'I can't, I just want to get away from everything' he said.

'You can't run away again' she ordered.

'Why not?' he asked angrily.

'Because you'll lose them both' she said truthfully.

'What do I do?' he asked desperately.

'You gotta figure out who you want to be with…for real this time…pure honesty' she said.

'I don't know' he said sighing.

'Yes you do…you're just too afraid to admit it because she's everything you never knew you wanted' she said.

Dan stood outside Blair's apartment and knocked on the door.

'Who is it?' she called.

'It's Dan' he said nervously. A few moments went by until she finally opened it. She looked awful.

'Wow, rough night?' he asked trying to lighten the tension between them. He followed Blair in to her apartment hesitantly.

'No…just tired…of this' she said turning to face him and pointing to him and then to herself.

'What?' he asked confused.

'This game…I hate it' she confessed shrugging her shoulders.

'You're the one who started it when you lied to me about Chuck' he said as he stepped closer to her.

'Well I'm sorry' she said finally. Dan put his hands in his pocket and looked down at the floor whilst Blair stood with her arms folded tightly.

'Why'd you do it?' he asked quietly.

'Serena wanted you and I didn't want to get in the way of that' she said uncomfortably.

'You didn't seem to care when we first got together' he argued.

'Together? It was one kiss and then I met Louis so get over yourself' she argued back.

'Ahhhh yes, your Prince…look how well that turned out' he said harshly. Blair was stunned.

'What? I can't say horrible things to you now?' he asked. Blair was holding back tears.

'Just leave me alone' she said defeated.

'No…not until you tell me the real reason why you lied, please, just say it, I have to-' he said desperately.

'Fine, you really want to know-' she said angrily.

'Yes, tell me!' he shouted.

'Because I wanted to hurt you like you hurt me!' she yelled.

'You left me for a whole year! I was in love with you and you left!' she said crying.

'I…I didn't know you felt that way! Blair can't you forgive me?' he said desperately.

'No I can't!' she said. Dan stood in shock at her revelation. Blair wiped her tears away and sighed.

'Well I guess that's that' he said looking at the floor shaking his head in disbelief.

'Yeah that's that' she said mocking his choice of words.

'I never asked for this…none of this would have happened if you'd just been honest with me!' he said angrily.

'Like you were honest with me?' she questioned. Dan laughed in disbelief at her attitude.

'You haven't grown at all have you' he said sadly.

'I have…I've grown in ways you can't even understand because you're still the same judgemental Broolyn Weasel who can't get past the fact that he wasn't born into the Upper East Side!' she said walking closer to him.

'Explain it to me…make me understand' he said as he stepped closer to her until their faces were inches apart. Blair was taken aback by him being so close to her that she drew in a breath. Dan looked into her big brown doe eyes pleading with her to help him understand.

They both sat side by side on her couch and Dan listened intently as Blair explained to him everything that had happened whilst he was away in Rome. He didn't interrupt but nodded and encouraged her to keep talking whenever she took a hesitant pause. For the first time in a long time Blair felt like she had her best friend back.

'I might still be bitchy and mean but that's how I need to act in order to survive…Dan the Upper East Side'…it's- she said sighing sadly.

'It's what?' he asked softly.

'It's toxic…I hate it' she confessed.

'Blair…you are the Upper East Side…you hating it is like saying you hate yourself' he said confused. Blair nodded and felt her chest tighten as she struggled to hold back tears.

'Blair' he whispered as he gently put his arm around her although as soon as Blair felt his touch she got up.

'God I can't stand it here, the parties, the false smiles, the lying and deceit…I feel like Madame Olenska…I always thought I was like May!' she said horrified by her epiphany.

'Blair, you're you… and this is your home, where you belong' he said reassuringly.

'That doesn't make me feel better' she said sarcastically.

'What, you want me to say it's ok to run away? Trust me it's a bad idea, I ran and it only made me miss New York more and-' he said honestly.

'There's a whole other world out there that I haven't seen because I've been so consumed by my own shitty existence here!' she said frustrated.

'Fine! Travel the world, live your life. Make a decision for yourself!' he said.

'I will' she said truthfully.

'I'll support you 100 percent this time' he said.

'Really?' she asked. He nodded.

'Thank you for understanding' she said softly. Their faces were inches apart as Dan glanced at her perfect pink lips and Blair stared into his eyes. Both their chests were feeling heavy until Blair forced herself to speak.

'You should get back to Serena' she said folding her arms. Dan nodded accepting that the moment had passed; he'd miss his chance to make a move. Blair was right; he was still the same Dan Humphrey.

A month later Serena invited the whole gang round for food tasting for the wedding.

Serena, Dan, Blair, Chuck and Nate sat at the dining table eating dinner prepared by New York's finest.

'So guys what did we think?' asked Serena as the waiters took the near empty dishes.

'Delicious and you know how fussy I am when it comes to food' said Blair.

'Thank god we have something booked, finally!' said Serena smiling at Dan. Dan held her hand reassuringly.

'So…all ready for dessert?' asked Serena.

'S I'm really sorry but I have to go' said Blair and she signalled for the waiter to get her jacket.

'B…you can't go yet and leave me with the guys-' said Serena. Blair glared at her as if to say 'remember my date!'.

'Oh it's okay don't worry, you can take it with you to share' said Serena winking.

'To share?'With who?' asked Nate.

'Oh her mom' said Serena. Blair rolled her eyes.

'I thought Eleanor was in Paris?' asked Chuck.

'She is' said Blair staring at Serena as if she was going to kill her.

'Then who are you?…Blair has a new boyfriend!' said Nate smiling.

'No I don't…he's not my boyfriend…yet' said Blair folding her arms defensively.

'Well who is he?' asked Chuck.

'Oh Chuck please don't go all nosy ex boyfriend on me please' warned Blair.

'Blair I just want to know his name…so I can send Arthur to stalk on him' said Chuck jokingly.

'ha ha' said Blair.

'B I'm sorry but they were going to find out sooner or later' said Serena.

'Thanks S, you know I can always count on you to keep a secret' said Blair sarcastically.

'So when are we going to meet this guy?' asked Dan.

'He's not meeting any of you until I'm sure' said Blair.

'Sure of what?' asked Dan.

'Sure that he knows who he is so that when I introduce him to this god forsaken side of Manhattan, he won't be scared away' said Blair.

'Blair is it really so bad?' asked Chuck.

'Yes it is…and it's scary that you of all people don't see it' said Blair.

'Dan what do you think?' asked Serena.

'I think Blair should do whatever makes her happy' said Dan softly.

'Thank you…now if you'll excuse me' said Blair who then speedily walked out for her date.

'Dan what did you think of the food?' asked Serena as they sat in the taxi back to Brooklyn.

'I can't believe Blair's dating' said Dan disgusted.

'Why?' asked Serena rolling her eyes in frustration at Dan ignoring her question.

'It's been what…a year and a half since the whole miscarriage and Louis…look all I'm saying is that I don't think another boyfriend is going to help her right now' said Dan.

'You've changed your tune since dinner' said Serena sarcastically.

'Serena come on, I had to lie for the sake of not arguing with the girl' said Dan.

'Well if you feel so strongly about it, maybe you should tell her but, please do it after the wedding as Marcus is her plus 1' said Serena trying to control her temper.

'Oh great! This guy is going to be at our wedding…a stranger' said Dan laughing.

'He's not a stranger! He's dating Blair, she's happy and we'll have to accept the fact that she doesn't want us to meet him before the Wedding' said Serena matter of factly.

'But why? Because she hates us and everything that we represent? You know what…why is she even coming to our wedding if she doesn't even like us!' he said angrily.

'Dan I know my best friend…she says things that she doesn't mean' said Serena reaching near the very end of her patience.

'Your best friend has got a right attitude problem' said Dan looking out the window gloomily.

'And so do you!' screamed Serena who startled Dan and turned to look at her in shock by her outburst,

'God I'm so sick of this! Dan… do you even care that we're getting married in less than 3 months?! I asked you about the food and you ranted on about Blair!' said Serena throwing her hands in the air.

'Okay calm down' he said trying to defuse the horrible situation they found themselves in.

'Don't you tell me to calm down! You're an asshole' said Serena.

'I'm an asshole? Wow okay…so why are you marrying me?' he asked.

'I must be totally fucked up' said Serena laughing.

'Serena…what…what do you want?' he asked confused.

'I want you to care…I want you to look at me the way you look at Blair whenever she enters the room, I want you to love me more than you love Blair!' she said with tears streaming down her face.

'You know' he said sadly.

'I'm not some dumb blonde like you all think I am…I'm just a girl who's in love with a coward who doesn't want to really marry me!' she said.

'Serena I'm so sorry…if I could erase last year and start over, I would! Ever since that day I saw you at Grand Central Station, I knew I wanted to marry you but something happened to me last year…I grew up and I realised that I was so obsessed and devoted to you that I neglected myself! I didn't grow or change, I just was Lonely Boy, stuck in this place where no one respected or cared about me' he said.

'You think Blair respects and cares about you?' asked Serena in disbelief. Dan nodded.

'I don't deserve this' said Serena as she took her wedding ring off.

'Excuse me, driver can you pull over please' ordered Serena.

'What are you doing?' he asked.

'I'm going home…you go back to Brooklyn with this' she said giving back her engagement ring.

'Serena…I-' he said sadly.

'Don't…don't say you're sorry again' she said.

'What will you tell your mother?' he asked.

'I'll handle it, if she tries calling you, don't answer it' she ordered. The taxi pulled over, Serena was about to get out when Dan stopped her.

'No, I'll go, you take the cab back to Manhattan' he said as he quickly got out. He then watched Serena speed off back to where she belonged.

The next morning Blair wanted to speak to Serena and tell her about her date with Marcus. After calling 5 times and getting Serena's voicemail, Blair knew something wasn't right. She called Lily who told her that Serena left with Dan last night and that she's probably still in Brooklyn. 3 days went by without a word from Serena, Blair started to worry. She had no choice but to visit him in Brooklyn.

Blair walked up the stairs to Dan's loft. She took a deep breath then knocked on the door. After a few seconds, Dan opened the door looking a state.

'So you're alive' said Blair crossing her arms.

'It would appear so…what are you doing here?' he asked.

'Trying to find my best friend…Is she here?' asked Blair.

'Serena? No she's not here…she is somewhere…but I don't know where' he said slurring his words.

'Are you drunk?' she asked.

'No…you just woke me up, I was sleeping' he said.

'Let me in' she said.

'No, I don't think so' he said.

'Humphrey, move!' she ordered. Dan stepped aside. Blair stormed passed him and walked into a mess.

'Blair…I'm tired so if you speak to Lily, I'm sure she'll fill you in on Serena's whereabouts' he said rubbing his face trying to stop his head from spinning.

'She's gone hasn't she' said Blair sadly. Dan nodded.

'Where is she?' asked Blair.

'I don't know' he said.

'Don't lie to me Dan!' she yelled.

'She didn't tell me where she was going okay! She hates me! It's over' he said.

'What?' asked Blair in disbelief.

'She ended it because I'm…I'm in love with someone else' he said. Blair couldn't breath

'Oh my god' she said as she turned away heading for the door.

'No Blair wait!' said Dan.

'No…Dan I have to go right now and speak to Lilly' said Blair.

'What about us?' he asked.

'I don't know' she said as she turned away.

'Blair…please…I need you right now' he said grabbing her arm. Their eyes locked as Blair felt her heart beating fast.

'I have to go…but I'll come see you tomorrow…I will' she said softly. Dan nodded then let go of her arm.

The next day Blair knocked on Dan's door.

'Dan, it's Blair' she said. Dan immediately opened the door.

'You came' he said surprised to see her but relieved at the same time.

'I said I would' she said begrudgingly. She walked into the loft.

'Do you want some coffee?' he asked.

'No' she said as she stood with her arms folded.

'You can sit down you know' he said.

'I'm not staying here long' she said.

'Blair…if you're here to just yell at me then maybe you should leave' he said sighing.

'What did you think was going to happen? That I'd be happy to see you? I'd rather see my best friend but according to Lily she doesn't want to speak to me!' said Blair angrily.

'I'm sorry' he said.

'Why Dan? Why did you tell her?' asked Blair.

'She already knew!' he shouted.

'How convenient for you' said Blair harshly.

'What is your problem?' he asked.

'You are my problem!' she answered back.

'Why? Because you're in love with me too?' challenged Dan.

'Get over yourself. I moved on a long time ago' she said. He stepped closer to her.

'Really? Because it wasn't too long ago that we were both sitting in Chuck's limo and you said that I made you feel alive' he said. Blair stepped back.

'And nothing changed? You were still engaged to Serena!' she said.

'You lied to me about Chuck, I was angry!' he said.

'I had no choice! I did what I had to do to keep you and Serena both in my life' she confessed.

'And now I've screwed everything up' he said.

'Yes you have!' she shouted.

Their eyes locked, suddenly Dan's eyes dropped to Blair lips and that was the signal that Blair needed. She crashed her lips on to his. Before Dan even had time to get into the kiss, Blair quickly moved away from him.

'Blair' he said confused.

'No I can't do this…I won't' she said holding back tears covering her mouth with her hand.

'Do what?' he asked

'Fall in love with you again' she said.

'I've been in love with you since the first time we kissed in your foyer…our social experiment that went wrong' he said looking down at the floor.

'Exactly, us being together is wrong!' she said.

'Then why does it feel so right whenever I'm kissing you' he said as he stepper closer to her.

'Because you're lonely and horny' she said coldly. Dan stepped back in disgust by her response.

'When will you stop undermining me and my feelings for you?' he shouted.

'Because if you truly loved me, you wouldn't have left me for Rome in my darkest hour!' she yelled.

'How many times do I need to apologise? I regret leaving you and going to Rome but I had to go, I owed it to myself, my career!' he said.

'That's great Dan! Are you a famous novelist because of it?!' she said sarcastically.

'No I'm not, I've still got a long way to go but I'm not afraid of hard work…and neither are you' he said.

'I've broken Serena's heart because of you!' he said sternly.

'If anything, I should be the one freaking out here because right now I need you now more than ever and you're about to walk away from me' he said sadly.

'Dan it's too late, there's no future for us' she said sadly.

'Ok…now you can leave' he said then stormed into his room slamming the door shut.

Blair felt her heart ache, she took a deep breath and turned to face the front door but she hesitated before reaching the door handle. At that moment she made a choice to follow him and not walk out the door. Blair stormed into his room making him jump.

'Oh so it's ok for you to walk away from me?!' she yelled.

'I told you to leave!' he yelled back.

'No…I'm not leaving!' she said sternly.

'Fine, then I'll go' he said.

'No wait Dan… deep down you know that I want to be with you' she said holding back tears.

'What?' he asked.

'I'm in love with you…I love-' she said softly before Dan crashed his lips on hers wrapping his arms around her waist. Blair ran her hands through his hair sighing into his mouth.

'Blair…I've missed you' said Dan breathlessly as he moved his lips to her neck.

'Dan, I need you' she said breathlessly. That was all Dan needed to hear.

The next morning Dan woke up expecting to see Blair beside him but she wasn't. He quickly went into the kitchen but she wasn't there either. She'd gone without saying goodbye. Dan should have expected her to react this way to them having sex but for a spilt second he believed that her love for him was stronger than her pride. He rubbed his hands over his face trying to rub the hurt and sadness off his face. Some one then knocked on the door, Dan took a breath in and then exhaled when he heard Vanessa's voice.

'It's open' he stated frustratingly.

'Goodmorn-' Vanessa stopped mid sentence staring at Dan in his boxers.

'Morning' said Dan as he got himself some juice out of the fridge ignoring Vanessa's awkward state. She looked at his bedroom door, which was shut.

'Do you have someone with you?' he whispered.

'What? No!' he said defensively.

'Great, so we're still on for brunch' she said sighing in relief.

'Sure, just give me a minute to get changed' he said. Vanessa nodded as she watched him sadly walk into his bedroom. She could tell something was wrong.

Chuck was drinking coffee reading the newspaper when he saw Blair appear in his suite at the Empire.

'Blair, what a pleasant surprise…how are-' he was interrupted by Blair panic state.

'I need to talk to you!' she said.

'Sit down' he said looking at her worried.

'This has nothing to do with you' she said reassuringly. Chuck nodded and relaxed in his chair as he put his newspaper down.

'My best friend has left me so I have no one to talk to about this' she said vulnerably.

'What's wrong?' he asked softly.

'I can't believe I'm telling you this but I have to tell someone' she said breathing heavily.

'I told Dan I loved him and we slept together last night' she said in one breath. Chuck swallowed hard as if he was trying to swallow raw red meat.

'What?' asked Blair.

'I'm not sure I can stomach the rest of this conversation' said Chuck.

'How do you think I feel?' shrieked Blair.

'Okay…have you talked about it with him?' asked Chuck.

'Of course not, I snuck out of the loft when he was sleeping' she said.

'Why?' asked Chuck.

'Because I felt disgusted with myself! I'm dating someone else! Not to mention Dan was engaged to my best friend a month ago. There's not going to be a happy ending to this no matter what I do' said Blair sadly.

'What is your definition of a happy ending?' asked Chuck.

'I don't know, everyone being happy I guess' said Blair.

'What about you, are you included in that?' asked Chuck.

'Blair you can't keep running away from what makes you happy' said Chuck.

'I did and look where it got me' said Chuck.

'Chuck that wasn't your fault, I'm as much to blame' said Blair.

'Blair…you're deserving of happiness and if…Dan…makes you happy…then you have to go to him' said Chuck.

Vanessa watched Dan stare at his coffee intently.

'Dan something happened last night with you' said Vanessa.

'What? Nothing happened…I did some writing and then I went to sleep at a reasonable hour' he said.

'So reasonable that you were still in your boxers at 11.30?' she asked.

'I had just taken a shower when you came over thank you' he said.

'Really?' she asked sceptically.

'Vanessa what are you getting at here? I thought I was having brunch, not the third degree' he said.

'You're lying to me' she said matter of factly.

'I'm not…I mean I might be withholding information from you but with good intentions' he said.

'Finally he speaks the truth!' said Vanessa. Dan sighed.

'Who are you protecting? Jenny, me, your mom?' she asked coyly. Dan shook his head.

'Serena? Have you heard from her?' she asked shocked.

'No' he said sadly.

'Then who?' asked Vanessa. After a few moments, her brain clicked.

'Blair?' she asked rhetorically.

'Here it is…she told me she loved me last night, I kissed her and one thing lead to another and the next thing I know is I wake up and she's gone' he said.

'Are you crazy?' she asked.

'Apparently' he said.

'Isn't she with someone?' asked Vanessa. Dan nodded.

'I don't know what to say' said Vanessa.

'Don't say anything, I already feel like a worthless piece of shit' he said.

'You brought this on yourself' she said.

'And so it starts' he said sarcastically.

'And I'm gonna keep going until I knock some sense into you' she said.

'She is never going to respect you and love you the way that you deserve if you continue to let her use you like some kind of toy…you're Dan the genius neurotic writer from Brooklyn who set himself apart from other male authors by not shacking up with his muses' said Vanessa.

'You've lost yourself Dan! You're so consumed in them and their world and you have no idea who you are anymore' she said.

'OK listen, I agree, I did loose myself when I agreed to marry Serena but I ended it because of that reason!' he said.

'And you think it's going to be different with Blair?' she aked confused.

'I don't know…but I do know that she has grown, she's not the same Blair she was 10 years ago' he said.

'That is you and not your dick talking right?' asked Vanessa slyly.

'I'm not going to sit here and have you criticise me about my relationship with her' he said.

'Relationship? Hardly' laughed Vanessa.

'You don't know her like I do' he said.

'Oh really' she said laughing at how ridiculous he sounded.

'Yes really, when you went to film school in LA, I had no one and then me and Blair were working at W and we started hanging out and insanely became best friends. She listened to my whining and laughed at my jokes. She even critiqued my writing. She was there for me but I wasn't there for her, I ran off to Rome and left her alone thinking she was living happily ever after with Chuck. I thought she didn't love me but she did…and last night she told me that she still does so I took a chance…and I don't regret it, I don't' he said so sure of himself that Vanessa was taken back.

'I want to be happy for you Dan but I don't trust her' she said softly.

'Trust me' he said holding her hand. Vanessa squeezed his hand and smiled.

Dan was laying on the couch watching TV when someone knocked on the door.

'Vanessa, it's open' said Dan assuming it was her. He then saw Blair appear from the corner of his eye.

'It's me' said Blair disheartened that he thought it was Vanessa.

'Blair…Hi' he said as he shot up and turned the TV off.

'I'm not disturbing you?' she asked.

'No of course not…how are you?' he asked softly.

'Good and you?' she asked.

'I've been better' he said honestly.

'You're mad that we haven't spoken since that night…I'm sorry I haven't been in touch' she said sincerely.

'It's okay, just wanted to make sure you were alright' he said.

Blair stepped towards him.

'Dan, there's something I have to know' she said.

'What is it?' he asked softly.

'I need to know that you'll be there for me even when Serena comes back to New York' she said vulnerably.

'I'll always be there for you, I'll never leave you here alone again' he said reassuringly.

'Never say never Humphrey' chuckled Blair. Dan smiled boyishly. Blair embraced Dan hugging him tightly resting her chin on his shoulder.

'I just needed to clear my head' said Blair.

'Is it clear now?' asked Dan as Blair released her arms from him.

Blair slowly pressed her lips on to Dan's simultaneously answering his question.

'Did you ever think we'd get here?' asked Dan looking deep into her eyes.

'No…but that's the crazy and wonderful thing about life…you never know who your soul mate could be' she said without thinking. Dan felt her tense up as soon as she realised what she has just said.

'I'm I'm your soulmate?' whispered Dan.

'You knew before I did' she whispered.

THE END


End file.
